chrissmith

Answered by Geoffrey Cox

Dear Chris The Conservative Party, just like this Government, is committed to an urgent Defence Review after the election. No defence asset can sensibly be excluded from that review and certainly... Show more »Dear Chris The Conservative Party, just like this Government, is committed to an urgent Defence Review after the election. No defence asset can sensibly be excluded from that review and certainly not the carriers. But the fact there is a review does not mean either will be scrapped. On the contrary, Liam Fox has taken pains to stress the importance of maritime security. The Labour Party too when challenged in the House of Commons would not exclude the carriers from its review. No government could guarantee in the current climate that any particular procurement would not in any circumstances be touched. However, I am in constant touch with Babcock, who understand the Conservative position and with Liam Fox and I am as confident as I can be that both carriers will survive the review. The first carrier is well under way- as we know – I was proud to be present when the bulbous bow section was unveiled the other day. Work begins on the second soon, and I believe the cost of cancellation makes it unlikely. But regardless of the carriers, we need not be pessimistic about the future for the Yard. I am very hopeful that we will soon see another announcement of very substantial work for Appledore Shipyard! So, I don’t think the guys at the Yard should be too worried. I shall continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds and I expect to play an active part in a Conservative Government’s consideration of the carriers. You can be sure where my weight will go! And no- the Conservative Party is not more inclined to spend money on the Army, although at the moment our defence interests are most immediately engaged in Afghanistan with the Army. However, most US air sorties are flown off Aircraft Carriers and the beauty of them is that they are very versatile, in supporting the army on land and in projecting force wherever we need it. Best wishes Geoffrey Cox Show less »